Press Releases, 2017/03/14 | Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

The Finnish-Kazakh Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation will meet in Helsinki on 15 March. The Finnish party of the Commission will be led by Kai Mykkänen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of the Republic of Finland and the Kazakh party of the Commission will be led by Kanat Bozumbajev, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The previous meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation was held in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, in October 2015.

The main task of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation is to improve the ability of Finnish businesses to operate in Kazakhstan and to build contacts between companies and authorities. The main topics on the agenda of the meeting will be bilateral trade, business matters, energy and cooperation in the field of education. One of the topics will be better transport connections between Finland and Kazakhstan – Finnair will start direct flights between Helsinki and Astana on 18 June 2017.

Another key theme of discussion will be Finland’s participation in the International Specialised Exhibition Astana EXPO 2017 from 10 June to 10 September 2017. The theme of the Finnish pavilion will be “Sharing Pure Energy”. Finnish exporters of education services are also present at the pavilion. The export of education services to Kazakhstan has increased in recent years.

Around 90% of Finland’s trade with Central Asian countries is with Kazakhstan. In 2016, Finland's exports to Kazakhstan totalled some EUR 115 million and imports EUR 137 million. The deficit is explained by the fact that oil and gas products account for the majority of the trade.

Finland has ratified the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, EPCA, on 24 February 2017. The EPCA was concluded between the EU and Kazakhstan. The EPCA replaces the less comprehensive agreement concluded in 1999 thus deepening the relations between the EU and Kazakhstan in a number of sectors, including the economy.